Forever Yours
by mockingjay-x
Summary: It was never meant to be this difficult, living in the same apartment building as the man you left behind. Well, maybe it was. Maybe because you never truly got over him. - Puck/Rachel futurefic.


**Just a one shot I wrote in those hours I have to waste before work sitting in Starbucks. Not really sure where the idea came from, and although I'm not entirely happy with it, I couldn't work out what to change when I was typing it up. **

**I own nothing. It all belongs to Ryan Murphy and Co. However, I have won Season 1 on DVD, the Rocky Horror Glee Show CD and the new Glee Foreign Exchange book this month. :)**

**Reviews are appreciated it, they really are.**

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It was never meant to be this difficult, living in the same apartment building as the man you left behind. Well, maybe it was. Maybe it was meant to be this difficult because you never truly got over him, his crass words, his mohawk and all round uncouth behaviour.

When Santana told her that Puck was moving to New York, she never expected it to be in the apartment above hers. Never. All the apartment in the City and he had to get that one. Allie and Rob decided since she was pregnant, they needed something bigger than their one-bed apartment so they moved. For a while, Rachel thought Santana herself might be interested in the apartment, but she said she couldn't deal with being so close to Rachel's crazy. Clearly, she was checking out the apartment for Puck.

The first time she saw him, he was drunk. She was getting in from a late rehearsal, her feet ached, she was exhausted and hungry. Yet when she yelled for the elevator to be held, she did not expect to come face to face with him. He smirked at her, mumbled 'Berry,' and pulled her in for her hug before she could even react to seeing him.

He still smelt the same, only with alcohol added into the mix. His grip around her felt tight, but not too tight. Her head leant against his chest and she listened to the sound of his heartbeat, something she used to do when they lay in bed together. She missed that. She said his name softly and her breath caught in her throat as she felt his lips brush against her hair.

He had pleaded with her, asking to just have that one moment before she yelled at him and she couldn't deny that. He sounded so broken, so tired. She wasn't sure whether it was because he was drunk or not. (She had found that he was always honest when he'd been drinking. More so than usual.) Her arms had slipped around his waist as she breathed in his scent once again. When the elevator stopped, she felt reluctant to pull away, but she did. Opening her mouth to question why he was in New York, in _her _building, she stopped when he smiled at her. It was a sad smile. The only other time she'd seen it was when Beth was born. She couldn't get mad, not when he looked so broken. He mumbled a 'take care' just as she stepped out of the elevator and the doors closed.

The second time she saw him, she was out with her cast mates. Gemma was scanning the bar, as usual, when she nudged Rachel to look at the 'hot piece of ass in the plaid shirt'. Before she even turned around, she knew it was him. It was and he was looking at her. She had waved at him before she could stop herself and he nodded back in acknowledgement. Gemma questioned her instantly and Rachel just said that he was her past. Because he was. He wasn't just a part of it, he was it. He was all that mattered. Gemma didn't believe it was in the past and continued her scan of the bar, knowing the man she'd seen was off limits even though Rachel didn't let on that he was.

The third time, she literally ran into him. She was running late for rehearsal, and she ran out of her building and straight into his chest. She didn't even need to look up to know it was him, she could smell his cologne. He told her to 'calm down and chillax'. She half yelled that she would not 'chillax' and she really needed to get to work. He nodded his head, told her he'd see her later and let her go. She could feel his eyes on her as she hurried away.

The fourth time she was with Santana and he was with Sam. The Latina was telling her that she needed to get laid, Rachel was telling her to mind her own business. They were in Bubba Gumps in Times Square, having their weekly dinner together when she heard his voice. He said something about their dates already being there and they'd just go straight over. Her stomach dropped. He was allowed to date, of course he was. The next thing she knew, he was telling her to 'scoot over.' Sam slid in beside Santana and she grinned at the blonde as he pressed a gentle kiss to her cheek. Rachel found she'd lose her appetite then and didn't get annoyed at Noah for stealing her food. She barely spoke. She felt like the odd one out, Santana might be her best friend, but right then she had no idea what the other three were talking about. Clearly they'd hung out quite a lot by the bits of the conversation she picked up on.

Instead, she spend her time texting Gemma and asking for her friends advice. Unfortunately, her friend wasn't much help. She was spending time with her brother who was visiting the city and couldn't abandon him. Rachel tried to excuse herself, saying she had an early start, yet Puck offered to walk her back. After all, they lived in the same building. He had walked her back and for once, Rachel had nothing to say.

The fifth time, she was on a date. Carter worked for some big company down town (she wasn't entirely sure what). He was kind, charming, a complete gentleman. He was Noah's opposite. Blonde hair, blue eyes, a little skinny but genuinely a decent man. They were walking through Times Square, her arm linked through his as they discussed the show they'd just seen. He was just pressing his lips to the top of her head when she saw him. He was by himself and he had that same look on his face, the one she'd seen in the elevator. The laugh that was on her lips instantly died and she slipped her arm from Carter's and walked away from him without a word.

When she reached Noah, she slipped her arms around his waist, hugging him tightly. She listened tot he sound of his heartbeat, a smile gracing her lips when she felt his arms around her. She really wanted to know what it was that was bothering him so much. Yet she knew better than to question him then, she knew what he was like and she didn't want to push him away. She still cared about him more than anything.

She didn't pull away until she heard Carter's voice and even then she remained close to Noah. Maybe she couldn't do this. Maybe she couldn't date when she kept on seeing Noah everywhere. The brunette apologised to the blonde and told him that she'd had a great night, but it was too soon, she couldn't do it. When she turned back to Noah, she half expected him to be smirking, but it was that same sad smile. Rachel took his hand and the two made their way in silence back to their building.

After that, Rachel decided that there was no point in avoiding him any more. She waited a few dates after that night before going to his apartment. She had coffee and blueberry muffins and when he opened the door in just a pair of sweats, her breath hitched. He still looked at good as before, if not better. She still hadn't said anything when he took the coffee from her and held open the door. Rachel hesitated for a minute before walking in, still clutching the bag with the muffins in.

She felt him brush past her and walk into the living room, dropping down on the couch. The brunette followed and placed the muffins on the coffee table before sitting down next to him, her eyes drifting to the television. Family Guy. Of course. Slipping her boots off, she tucked her legs underneath herself, picking up her coffee cup. She'd deal with it.

They remained in silence as they drank their coffee, Noah eating his muffin and half of Rachel's. It wasn't until she'd been there for an hour that he offered to change the channel. She just shook her head and made herself more comfortable, laying down and resting her head on his lap. When she felt his fingers running through her hair, Rachel knew she was screwed. She was still in love with him.

That became their thing, bringing one another coffee in the morning and watch television together. Occasionally they would go out together for coffee, but both preferred the comfort of their apartments. The one thing that surprised Rachel the most was there was never a girl there. He never even looked when they went out for their coffee. He always looked at her.

They had their 'first' fight, two months after the coffees started. She had a date and he wasn't pleased about it. There was a lot of yelling from both parts and Rachel went on the date. When she got back home she found herself unable to sleep because of the noises coming from the apartment above.

They didn't seen one another for about a month after that and then, apparently the world hated them. They got stuck in the elevator. In the three years Rachel had been living there, it hadn't broken down once. Then when she was in it with him, the Gods were against them. She was exhausted and really just wanted to curl up in bed with a good movie, but her evening was going to be spend stuck in an elevator with the man she had been avoiding for the last month.

She called the Super and he said that he'd get it fixed as son as he could. Which Rachel knew wouldn't be for a good few hours. Sliding down to sit down in the corner, she pulled her legs up against her chest to keep warm. She planned on avoiding talking to him for as long as possible. It lasted ten minutes before he spoke, asking her how her date went. She questioned why it mattered, because she'd heard that he had a great night. Rachel let her head rest against her knees, closing her eyes. She really didn't want to discuss it any more.

The brunette must have fallen asleep, because when she opened her eyes, Noah's arm was around her and she was snuggled into his side. When she tried to pull away, his grip tightened and he told her not to move, because he was comfortable and she still felt cold. He didn't like seeing her shivering the way she had been, that's why he had moved closer towards her. Rachel debated with herself as to whether not not she should move. With a sigh, she settled back against him, her head resting against his should. Rachel heard him whisper that she should wear a coat, especially since it was getting colder. The brunette just remained silence, she didn't want to say anything that could start a fight.

It was another forty minutes before the elevator actually moved and Rachel was quick to stand up and move away from him. The moment it reached her floor, she got out without another word. There was no need to be around him any more.

Santana showed up at her apartment two dates later, asking her where she had been, to which Rachel reminded her that she was busy. Especially with her opening night in five weeks time. The Latina got annoyed at her best friend, saying that just because she was going to be some Broadway star, she shouldn't forget her friends. Rachel just looked at Santana and smiled softly before hugging her and whispering her apology. She couldn't forget Santana even if she wanted to. (It was the same with the man living above her.)

They spent that evening watching scary movies, giggling like teenagers. One thing Rachel was thankful for was that Santana didn't bring up Noah once. She guessed her friend had spoken to the man himself.

It was two weeks before opening night when she saw someone she honestly never expected to see. She was out with the cast of the show. Gemma, Andrew and Chris were all together in a booth, Rachel had gone to the bar to get drinks for them all. As she gazed around the bar, her eyes fell upon him. A shy smile crept upon her lips as she saw him excuse himself and head in her direction. The bartender reached her just as she felt an arm around her waist. Ordering the drinks, she heard him add his in and Rachel smiled, nodding her head at the bartender before turning around. Jesse St. James. She felt his arms around her and she returned the gesture, hugging him tightly.

She had long forgotten what went wrong between them, and he seemed to have grown up a lot. When the bartender had placed the drinks down, she went to get the money out of her purse only to be stopped by Jesse. He was happy to pay for her drink and since she was buying them for her friends, he didn't mind getting them too. Picking up the drinks between them, they went back to sit with her friends. Jesse sliding into the booth next to her.

Rachel remained close to him, leaning against him when she started to get tired. It was then that she saw them, Santana, Sam and Noah. All three were looking in their direction, Sam confused, Santana annoyed and Noah was angry. Rachel chose to ignore them until she received a text from Santana asking what she was doing with Jesse. The brunette knew that a simple 'I can do as I please' wouldn't suffice so she excuse herself and went over to her friends. Before any of them spoke, she told Noah to say a word because he had no right to comment on who she had drinks with. None of them did, but she would listen to what Santana had to say since she was her best friend.

The Latina simply told her to be careful because she didn't want to see her get hurt. Rachel assured her friend that she'd be fine before going back over to the table. Almost instantly she text Santana telling her Jesse was bi-sexual and had a boyfriend at home, but not to tell the boys. The two best friends exchanged grins before Rachel leant back against Jesse.

Rachel's birthday was fast approaching and she wanted a night out with all her friends and decided Noah could come along. To keep Sam company, of course. So, herself, Santana, Noah, Sam, Jesse, Jack (Jesse's boyfriend), Gemma, Andrew, Chris and Lily (Chris's girlfriend) were going out for dinner and drinks. Seeing the look on Noah's face when she introduced Jack was priceless and she didn't miss Santana laughing behind her. Everyone else knew except Noah which made the whole thing a lot more entertaining.

They ate in her favourite restaurant, drinking cocktails and laughing. Yet she could feel his gaze on her the whole time. It was distracting but she avoided looking at him. In fact, she managed to really avoid speaking to him until later on that night when she was slightly drunk and he was at the bar with that same sad look on his face. The brunette made her way over and leant against the bar, looking at him. He just saw there staring at the glass in front of him until she placed her hand on his arm, squeezing it gently.

He looked up, gave her that sad smile and wished her a Happy Birthday. Rachel sighed, pushing the drink away before taking his hands and pulling him up as best as she could. When he looked at her curiously, she told him they were going home. The brunette said goodbye to her friends, not letting go of his hand the whole time. The only ones who seemed to understand Rachel were Santana and Sam.

They got a cab back, silence filling the air the whole journey. When Rachel went to pay, he stopped her and took out his wallet, mumbling something about it being her birthday. She chose not to argue and grabbed his hand again once they were out of the cab. When they were in the elevator, Rachel felt his arms around her, hugging her tightly. A birthday hug. Rachel had no idea what this was between them any more, but deep down, she knew that she didn't want to lose him again. Whether they were just friends or not. Rachel hoped that they wouldn't have a fight like the last and stop talking again.

The hug seemed to sober her up and she pulled away when the elevator stopped on his floor. She just wanted to make sure he got in alright, that was all. When he told her that he had got her a present, she had told him if it was something like him naked, he could think again. He reassured her that it was an actual gift, in a box and gift-wrapped.

When they were in his apartment and he handed her the box before dropping down on the couch beside her, the brunette smiled softly at him. She could tell that he wrapped it, the wrapping paper and the fact that it was near enough all covered in scotch tape gave that away. She heard him laugh when she tried to find where to start and she elbowed him in the stomach, turning her head to glare at him.

They fell silent again as she continued to unwrap the gift and ten minutes later, the paper (and scotch tape) in a pile beside her and a blue velvet box in her hand. He mumbled something about it not being much just as she opened the box. For it 'not being much,' it was the most beautiful bracelet she had ever seen. It was a simple silver bracelet with a tiny star attached and a diamond in the middle. As she looked at it, he said he would have got her a gold start, but that bracelet had sucked. Rachel laughed softly as she looked up t him, kissing his cheek softly. It was beautiful and definitely her favourite present. Rachel assured him that she'd wear it, but she needed to go back to her apartment since she had an early start. He had reluctantly let her go with a promise to see her soon.

The brunette had no expected 'soon' to be the next morning. She had just got out of the shower and was dressed in a pair of sweats and a baggy t-shirt when she heard a knock at the door. She opened it to see Noah holding two coffee cups and she couldn't contain the grin as she took one of the cups from him. He sat on her bed as she continued to get ready to head to the theater and for the first time in forever, she wanted to just stay in her apartment with him.

When she was ready, he put the bracelet on her and said he'd walk her to work. Thankfully, it wasn't a long walk and the whole way there, she had her arm linked through his, her head resting against his arm. The journey was spend almost in silence other than the occasional comment about the night before. When they reached the theater, he kissed her cheek with another promise to see her soon.

It was a week before she next saw him and he apologised because he'd been busy at work. Rachel assured him that it was fine but she expected coffee with him the next morning. And the next morning, he was at her door with coffee and she curled up into his side as they sat on her couch, his arm tightly around her waist. They were watching Tom and Jerry because it was the only thing they could agree on.

She felt him twist the bracelet around her wrist and she smiled up at him, whispering that she hadn't taken if off since he had put it on. He just said that he was glad she liked it and he really didn't have a clue what to get her. Rachel just reminded him that she thought it was perfect. They spent the rest of the morning on her couch until they both needed to go to work.

Rachel spend the entire time trying not to think about him, but failed miserably. Santana called her to see how things were, which meant she wanted to know what was going on. Rachel assured her best friend that there was nothing going on with Noah. Yet if there ever was, she'd be the first person that Rachel told. Santana mentioned going out for New Year, just the four of them and Rachel said that she just wanted a night in. Maybe have a get together at her apartment. She told the Latina she'd speak to Noah about it. When they hung up, the brunette text Noah asking what time he finished work because she wanted to talk to him and maybe they could watch a movie together. She got a reply almost instantly telling her to just show up at his when she was done.

She was late getting out that night, which really annoyed her because she was really looking forward to spending time with Noah. As she left the theater, she sent him a text to see if he still wanted her over and he replied telling her to stop being so stupid. She took a cab that night as opposed to the subway, quickly going to her own apartment to change into something more comfortable and to drop her things off. When she went up to his apartment, he opened the door rubbing his eyes and she felt bad for waking him. Which she apologised for and he told her not to worry about it.

He went into the bedroom instead of the living room and she hesitated until he told he'd been watching a movie in bed and he wanted to finish it. When she got onto the bed beside him, she told him that he looked like he had been asleep and when he ignored her, she laughed and leant against him. She knew he wouldn't admit it.

When the movie came to an end, she smiled to herself as she looked at Noah asleep beside her. She really didn't want to wake him up, but she needed to move. Nudging him gently, he grumbled and hugged her tightly against himself, Rachel smiled and realised she wasn't going anywhere so she settled against him, getting more comfortable.

Rachel woke up the next morning to Noah laying on his side looking at her and the brunette felt herself blush, burying her head into the pillow. She heard him whisper 'you didn't leave' and she knew that he expected her to. Rachel got more comfortable, facing him as she replied with 'you wouldn't let me.' They laid there for about twenty minutes in silence, just looking at one another. It wasn't until Rachel's cell phone rang that either of them moved. Even then, it was Rachel reaching for her phone and Noah reaching for her free hand.

She smiled softly to let him know that she wasn't going anywhere. The brunette lay there in his bed, listening to Santana on the phone while Noah ran his fingers up and down her arm. For once, she really didn't want to listen to Santana, she just wanted to spend time with Noah. When her best friend asked how Noah was, she put her cell phone on speaker and told the Latina to ask him herself. When Santana called her a bitch for not saying anything about him being there before, Rachel laugh, saying goodbye and hanging up before Santana could say anything.

When she rolled onto her side to face him again, the brunette realised that this was how she wanted to wake up in the morning. They had been dancing around one another the whole time he had been in New York, neither one of them bringing up their past together. Maybe it would be better if they started over completely. The brunette reached for his hand, lacing their fingers together as she moved closer, snuggling into his chest. Feeling his arm around her, Rachel smiled before pressing her lips lightly to his chest. Maybe things were going to work out.

They spend the whole day together, cuddled on his couch watching movies or Noah was trying to teach her games on the x-Box (and failed miserably). It wasn't until Santana and Sam came knocking on his door that their bubble burst. Still, they all send the rest of the night together and Rachel realised she hadn't smiled that much in a long time and it was down to Noah. They hadn't kissed yet, but Rachel knew him well enough to know that he was waiting until the right time.

For the next week when they weren't working or out with their friends, they were together. Rachel was still waiting for him to kiss her, but she found that she was alright with it. They went out to dinner one night and found themselves holding hands almost the entire time.

One night when Rachel got home from the theater, ready to get changed and go up to his apartment, she found an envelope pushed underneath her door. She recognised the writing on the envelope straight away and the brunette couldn't help but think something bad. She really hoped he wasn't letting her go again, it hurt enough that he let that happen the first time.

When she opened it, a key fell out and she read the note inside. He had decided she might as well have a key since she was spending all her time at his apartment, even though she only lived downstairs. They weren't even in a relationship and he was giving her a key to his apartment.

The brunette quickly changed before grabbing her keys, her cell phone and the key that Noah had given her and heading up to his apartment. When she reached the door, she stopped, even though he had given her a key was she meant to use it even when he was there? Choosing to knock, when she heard him grumbling on the other side of the door, she knew that he'd been asleep.

The curious look on his face when he opened the door told her that he expected her to use the key. His words confirmed that too when he grabbed her hand and pulled her in. She apologised to him and told him that she wasn't sure whether to use it because he was already there. Rolling his eyes, he told her to be quiet and get into bed because he really wanted to cuddle. Rachel smiled at his words as she got into bed beside him, settling against his chest when he pulled her close. She was pretty sure they were in some sort of relationship again, even though neither one of them had questioned it.

It was New Years Eve when he kissed her. The four of them were in her apartment, because buying alcohol and celebrating there was much better than going out. She went into the kitchen to get a glass of water and he followed her, his arms circling her waist from behind as he kissed her neck softly. She heard the words escape his lips causing her to instantly turn in his arms. Just as she was about to question him, he said it again. 'I love you.'

Only this time, he continued. He told her how he'd been an ass hole the first time around and he never should have let her go. How he kind of hated seeing her happy when he'd been so miserable. He apologised for yelling at her for going on a date then sleeping with someone else. He said how he hated seeing other guys with his girl, because that's what she was. He told her how having her curled up against him in bed was one of the best feelings in the world. Lastly, he told her to say something to stop him from rambling. She grinned before stepping closer, whispering the words 'I love you too,' and kissing him softly. After all, they say the way you spend New Year is how you'll spend the rest of the year. And she was really looking forward to spending it with Noah Puckerman.

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**Remember, review! Please.**


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